When something goes wrong.

When you can file a dispute

Either party can open a dispute on an order any time after funds are escrowed and before they release. Common reasons:

• Item never arrived. Tracking shows delivered but the package isn't with the buyer, or tracking has stalled for > 14 days.
• Wrong item. What arrived doesn't match the listing snapshot — different model, colour, size, edition.
• Not as described. Condition is worse than agreed (e.g. listed “new”, arrived used), or the item is materially defective.
• Counterfeit or unauthorised. The item appears to be a knock-off, a recall, or otherwise not the genuine product on the source page.
• Sourcer never shipped. Order has been funded for > 14 days with no tracking number.

How it works

1. Open the dispute. From the order page, click “Open dispute” and tell us what happened. The auto-release timer pauses immediately.
2. Submit evidence. Photos of what arrived (or didn't), shipping records, source-page snapshots, screenshots of the chat. The more concrete, the faster we can resolve.
3. The other side responds. They'll get the dispute, see your evidence, and submit their own — receipts, proof of shipment, photos before dispatch.
4. Review and decision. During beta, every dispute is reviewed by a human at Nscrow. We aim for a decision within 48 hours. Later this year, an AI first-pass will recommend an outcome and either party can accept or escalate.
5. Funds move. Stripe refunds, transfers, or splits the escrow per the decision. You'll see the result on the order page.

Possible outcomes

Refund the buyer

The full escrow returns to the buyer's original payment method. The processing fee is refunded with it.

Release to the sourcer

The order continues as normal — funds release to the sourcer, less the platform fee. Used when the buyer's claim isn't supported by the evidence.

Partial split

For partial-fault cases (e.g. item arrived but minor cosmetic damage). A portion returns to the buyer, the rest releases to the sourcer.

Escalated

If the AI mediator and either party disagree, we escalate to manual human review. Funds stay frozen until resolved.

What we look at

The listing snapshot is the source of truth — when you posted the request, we captured the title, image, and reference price from the source URL. That's what the sourcer agreed to source. Disputes are decided against that snapshot.

• The original listing snapshot (frozen at post time)
• The accepted offer's declared match type and condition
• Tracking history from the carrier
• Photos and receipts from both parties
• The in-app chat history between buyer and sourcer

Tips that make disputes faster

• Photograph the package before opening it, including the shipping label.
• Keep the original packaging until the order is fully released.
• Don't leave negotiation outside the chat — we can only see in-app messages.
• File within 48 hours of delivery. After auto-release, we can't reverse a completed Stripe transfer — only the sourcer can voluntarily return funds at that point.

What we can't help with

We mediate disputes between buyers and sourcers on orders placed through Nscrow. We don't mediate:

• Buyer's remorse — if the item matches the listing snapshot, a change of mind doesn't trigger a refund.
• Off-platform payments. If money moved outside Nscrow's escrow, we have no record and no recourse.
• Third-party retailer issues. If the sourcer's retailer (e.g. Amazon) has its own warranty or return policy, you'll need to go through them separately.